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Realtor Chenoa Barhydt never saw herself walking away from the corporate world. As an entrepreneur with an extensive background in international marketing and branding, she’d already found her niche. Or so she thought. But while doing marketing and social media branding for a small real estate brokerage, something changed. “I felt like God was pulling me to it, because there’s no other reason for it,” she said. “I got my license and it was just the easiest process. And then I started helping people.”

Specifically, Chenoa has found something of a calling in helping divorced people navigate the homebuying process. “I’m blessed with helping people who have been divorced and who don’t know the pitfalls that come with it. Like, getting a loan and what that looks like. And how they need to set themselves up for success from the get-go.” Chenoa’s background in speaking at women’s empowerment groups comes into play quite a bit, she says. “I’m able to use my coaching experience to walk people down that path. And for some reason, I’m really able to help them.”

As a Realtor with JP & Associates Realtors, Chenoa leverages relationships with knowledgeable lenders to educate divorcees on the unfamiliar territory. “I focus on anything related to past title issues, how child support is delivered, and in what capacity. There are a lot of things people don’t realize. Like, whether you’ve been receiving child support for three months versus six months, that actually dictates what kinds of loan you can get. There are so many details. I have a couple of great lenders that help me with that piece of it. So there’s a whole group of us. It’s certainly not just me, by any means.”

Community building comes as second nature to Chenoa, who credits her Native American heritage as playing an important role in her business life. “I’ve done a lot of research on Native American cultural values, and it is very much a clan orientation, where you bring people around you, support each other, and help each other.”

Driven by Balance

Despite her effusive personality, Chenoa admits to not being terribly comfortable with self-promotion – which can be pretty crucial to the business of real estate. “I think being able to listen, and be patient and humble are characteristic of being Native American,” she said. “It’s hard for me to go on social media and say, ‘Look what I did!’ I know that’s important for Realtors to do. Maybe it’s the way I was raised, but there’s this part of me that finds that hard.”

Humility, she says, and a balanced approach to life are fundamental to her business and personal life. “Being able to balance everything out and enjoy each season as it comes, to be in the moment – that may just sound like anyone who is very content with their life, but they’re certainly some of the values of Native American life.”

Originally from Oklahoma, Chenoa Barhydt focuses her real estate practice in Richardson, where she lives with her 15-year-old son.